Helen Gantt Reddish

Funeral services for Helen Gantt Reddish were held Sunday, Sept. 14 at Griggs Chapel A.M.E. Church. Rev. Melvin Henry officiated the services. Interment was in the Griggs Chapel Cemetery.

She died September 9 at the Abbey Hospice facility in Social Circle.

Mrs. Reddish was born on August 9, 1943 to the late Tom and Lena Barr Gantt of Monticello.

Upon graduating high school, she moved to Brooklyn, N.Y. where she lived with David and Eula Byron for several years. She completed a Business Program at Brown College in Jamaica, N.Y.

Mrs. Reddish joined employment at the Wausau Insurance Company in 1970 where she progressed through the ranks to become the lead Legal Office Assistant in 1986, the Legal Processing Supervisor in 1988, and then the Legal Adminstrative Unit Supervisor.

While living in New York she met Charles Reddish and they were united in holy matrimony. After living in New York for several years, she and her husband moved back to her hometown of Monticello.

At an early age, she had joined Griggs Chapel A.M.E. Church and after returning home reunited with her childhood church. She served on the Trustee Board until her health began to fail, but continued to serve as secretary of the Griggs Chapel Missionary, treasurer of the Fifth Sunday Union, and a member of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Choir. Mrs. Reddish was also very supportive of the YPD of the Griggs Chapel A.M.E. Church and Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.

Two brothers, Tommy Lee Gantt and Ralph Gantt, preceded her in death.

In addition to her her husband of 44 years, Charles Reddish, survivors include sisters, Dorothy Mae Bailey of Covington, Dori Rivers of Atlanta, Johnnie Mae Goolsby (Otis) of Monticello, Patricia Roberts of Austell, and Rachel Thompkins (George) of Eatonton; brother, Paul L. Gantt of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla; sisters-in-law, Rosa L. Gantt of Monticello and Valerie Jackson of Brooklyn, N.Y.; brother-in-law, Levoid Reddish (Gwendolyn) Brooklyn, N.Y.; several loving nieces and nephews and other relatives; and a devoted cousin, Eula Byron of Monticello.

Pallbearers were Griggs Chaple A.M.E. Stewards and flower attendants were the Class of 1962.

Smith & Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.